This is truly the BEST Pumpkin Muffins recipe — they’ve been carefully tested to be soft, fluffy, moist, and loaded with fall flavor! My recipe is easy (no mixer or pastry cutter needed!) and takes just 10 minutes to prep. Recipe includes a how-to video.
Top-Rated Pumpkin Muffins
These easy pumpkin muffins are every bit as delectable as my pumpkin cupcakes, but slightly more suitable for breakfast! With their buttery streusel topping and their moist and flavorful pumpkin-y centers, they rival my banana muffins in terms of favorite muffins ever.
The streusel is what takes these muffins from delicious to irresistible. It’s buttery and crisp against the super soft and moist pumpkin muffin interior. The best part? Instead of using cold butter and working it into the sugar and flour with a pastry cutter, my recipe uses a simpler method with melted butter. It’s not only easier, but it also lends itself to a more buttery streusel–yum!
What you’ll love about my recipe:
- Only 10 minutes to prep!
- Uses simple ingredients with incredibly moist and tender results.
- No mixer or pastry cutter needed.
- Includes an easy (optional) 2-ingredient glaze!
What You Need
Here are the key ingredients in my pumpkin muffin recipe:
- Sugar. I like to use both white and brown sugar. The brown sugar adds subtle molasses tones that really complement the pumpkin and the spiced fall flavors.
- Butter. Let your butter cool after melting, otherwise it will melt your sugars, yielding flat, sub-par results.
- Canned pumpkin. Make sure you use pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling, which has other additives that can keep your muffins from tasting as they should.
- Milk. Since it’s such a small amount, really any kind will work. I use whole milk.
- Pumpkin pie spice. If you don’t have pumpkin pie spice on hand, you can always whip up a batch of my homemade pumpkin spice!
SAM’S TIP: These pumpkin muffins would look so nice in my parchment paper muffin liners! They’re extremely easy to make and have a pretty and professional look.
Remember, this is just an overview of the ingredients I used and why. For the full recipe please scroll down to the bottom of the post!
How to Make Pumpkin Muffins
- Stir the sugars, eggs, pumpkin puree, and milk into the (cooled) melted butter until combined.
- Whisk together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, then gradually fold them into the wet ingredients. With muffins, it’s important that you don’t over-mix the batter, so do this step by hand (with a spatula) and be gentle. Don’t use an electric mixer here (!) and stir until just-combined.
- Evenly portion your batter into a lined muffin tin and set this aside while you prepare your streusel.
- Whisk together the flour, sugars, and cinnamon.
- Pour melted butter over the mixture and toss with a fork until clumps form.
- Sprinkle the streusel over your prepared muffins and bake for 17-19 minutes.
- Let the muffins cool before topping with vanilla glaze (if using).
SAM’S TIP: The key to good streusel is a mixture that’s nice and clumpy, so don’t break up the clumps that form as you stir in your butter. If you over-work your streusel, you’ll end up with a paste rather than the crumbly topping that we’re aiming for.
Frequently Asked Questions
These will be fine at room temperature in an airtight container for 2-3 days. They could be refrigerated, but the fridge tends to dry out muffins and so I don’t recommend it.
Yes! Your bake time will be different though (less time for mini, likely about 14 minutes, and more time for jumbo), so keep an eye on them.
You could, but I’d recommend making my pumpkin bread instead. It’s meant to be baked in a loaf pan and has a perfectly dense crumb that’s designed to be sliced without crumbling (which might happen if you use this recipe!).
Enjoy!
Let’s bake together! I’ll be walking you through all the steps in my written recipe and video below! If you try this recipe, be sure to tag me on Instagram, and you can also find me on YouTube and Facebook
The Best Pumpkin Muffins
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled at least 10 minutes
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten (room temperature preferred)
- 1 cup (240 g) canned pumpkin puree¹
- 2 Tablespoons milk
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour
- ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoons baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice (click the link for instructions to make your own pumpkin spice)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Streusel Topping²
- 1 ¼ cup (156 g) all-purpose flour
- ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar tightly packed
- ⅓ cup (66 g) sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 6 Tablespoons (85 g) salted butter³ melted and cooled until no longer warm to the touch
Glaze (optional)
- ½ cup (65 g) powdered sugar
- 2-3 teaspoons milk
Recommended Equipment
- Muffin pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F (190C) and line a 12-count muffin tin with paper liners (or lightly grease and flour). Set aside.
- Combine melted, cooled butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in a large bowl and stir well.¾ cup (170 g) unsalted butter, ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar, ¼ cup (50 g) light brown sugar
- Stir in eggs. Add pumpkin puree, milk, and vanilla extract and stir well.2 large eggs, 1 cup (240 g) canned pumpkin puree¹, 2 Tablespoons milk, 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon until well-combined.1 ¼ cups (156 g) all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoons baking powder, ¾ teaspoons baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons pumpkin spice, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Add your dry ingredients into your wet and gently stir until just combined, taking care to not overmix the batter.
- Evenly divide muffin batter into prepared muffin tins (filling each ¾ full). Set aside while you prepare your streusel.
Streusel
- Prepare your streusel by whisking together flour, sugars and cinnamon.1 ¼ cup (156 g) all-purpose flour, ½ cup (100 g) light brown sugar tightly packed, ⅓ cup (66 g) sugar, ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pour the melted butter into the mixture and, using a fork, stir until crumbles form. Don't overwork the streusel or you'll end up with a paste, you want it to be nice and clumpy!6 Tablespoons (85 g) salted butter³
- Using your hands, evenly divide streusel over muffin batter, piling the streusel over the batter and gently pressing the topping into the batter.
- Bake on 375F (190C) for 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Allow muffins to cool in muffin pan for 5 minutes before carefully removing to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Glaze
- If desired, make glaze by whisking together powdered sugar and milk. Drizzle over cooled pumpkin muffins½ cup (65 g) powdered sugar, 2-3 teaspoons milk
Notes
¹Pumpkin Puree
Make sure you buy puree that is 100% pumpkin and NOT “Pumpkin Pie Filling”, which contains other ingredients.²Streusel topping
These pumpkin muffins can be made without the streusel topping, they may just need a minute or two less in the oven. A few people have commented that the streusel recipe made more than they needed for their muffins. The amount listed is exactly as much as I use and as is shown in the photos and in the video, but feel free to reduce the amount in half if you don’t like a lot of streusel.³Salted vs unsalted butter
If you don’t have salted butter on hand, just use unsalted and add ¼ teaspoon of salt to the dry ingredients for the streusel.Storing
Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. Muffins may also be tightly wrapped and frozen for several months.Nutrition
Nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered an estimate only. Actual nutritional content will vary based upon brands used, measuring methods, cooking method, portion sizes, and more.
I originally published this recipe 10/3/2018. Post updated with new pictures and more notes, recipe is the same.
Beverly Hogle
I made these pumpkin muffins last night for my husband to take to work and share with the guys. I kept back one muffin for me to have this morning with my coffee. Boy, did I make a MISTAKE!!! I wanted to call him and tell him to bring them back home. I bake all of the time and I make a variety of muffins, but I have to say that your pumpkin recipe is my all-time favorite. I believe that there will be a trip to the store today to purchase more pumpkin puree.
Sugar Spun Run
Your comment made my day, Beverly! I am so glad that you enjoyed the pumpkin muffins and sorry that you had to share. 🙂
Corrin
I just made these today, and they were wonderful! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe Sam!
Sam
I’m so glad you enjoyed the pumpkin muffins, Corrin!! Thank you so much for commenting, I appreciate it! 🙂
Anne
Amazing muffins! My fussy bf was eating the batter before I could fill the paper liners. Next batch will have a light coating of cream cheese frosting vs streusel topping.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy that you enjoyed the Pumpkin Muffins, Anne! I love the additional coating of Cream Cheese Frosting as well. Happy Baking! 🙂
Chelsea
Hi! I tried out your recipe today and thought I followed it to a T so I’m not sure where I went wrong. The batter was more liquidy than yours in your video and the entire thing melted and bubbled over without cooking in the oven.. it’s a total mess! Has this happened to you before? Any tips on a second try?
Sam
Hi Chelsea! My first guess would be that the butter was too hot and melted the sugar, is that possible? You did use 1 + 1/4 cups flour, right?
Joyce
These muffins are wonderful
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Joyce! I am glad that you enjoyed the Pumpkin Muffins. 🙂
Barb Cattie
Hi Sam- planning on making your Pumpkin Muffins today. I only have fat free milk and buttermilk- can I use one of these instead of whole milk?
Thanks, Barb Cattie
Sugar Spun Run
Hello, Barb! Others have substituted for buttermilk and they have had success. I hope that you enjoy the pumpkin muffins. 🙂
Sylvia
I made these and OMG! They are so FABULOUS ! I seriously love Pumpkin anything! But after sitting just one day, the flavor set in even deeper and they were just simply awesome ! I gave some to my grandson and he loved them! Sam, your recipes are a NEVER FAIL! They are all so good ! But a few you listed on here I have not yet made, but will be ! And, I will let you know how they come out.
Sugar Spun Run
Thank you so much, Sylvia! I really appreciate your kind words. I am glad that you enjoyed the pumpkin muffins and can’t wait to hear what you bake next. Enjoy! 🙂
Julie
Wow! So good, I made them in my mini muffin tin so that I could have plenty to share at work tomorrow. Of course I used the family as Guinea pigs and they raved…then pouted when they realized they weren’t staying in the house.
Sugar Spun Run
I am so happy that your family enjoyed the pumpkin muffins and I hope that your coworkers do as well. Thanks for commenting, Julie! 🙂
Brenda
Love, love, love theses muffins. And so does everyone in my family. Perfect. Thanks for sharing.
Sam
I am so glad everyone enjoys them! ☺️
Monica
Hello Sam! I LOVE your recipes! I made these pumpkin muffins for my daughter-in-law and they are great! I just had a few questions – the instructions say to preheat your oven to 350 then later it says to bake at 375 – also I had WAY too much streusel left over – can I cut those ingredients in half? Thanks! 🙂
Sam
Hi Monica!! I’m so glad they were such a hit! So it should say 375F, when I very first published this recipe I accidentally said 350F but I fixed it pretty quickly so it shouldn’t be showing up this way anymore…
Are you seeing this when viewing the recipe online or did you maybe print the recipe, it’s showing as 375F for me so all I can think is maybe it was printed before I fixed it?
As for the streusel, I DO like a lot of streusel, haha, you can cut that in half and it won’t be a problem.
Monica
I made 12 – gave 11 of them away and ate my one this morning and it was so awesome!! Yea…gonna make me another batch today!! Your recipes ROCK!! Thank you! 🙂
Joanne Lyell
Hi Sam! I love your recipes and have made quite a few. They always turn out well!! I just watched the video after baking the muffins🙄 should have watched first, but anyway the recipe says oven temp is 350, but you said 375 in video. Which is the right temp? Thank you and I appreciate all of your wonderful recipes! Joanne Lyell
Sam
375! Thank you so much for pointing this out to me (honestly they’d be OK on 350, just need a few minutes longer). Thanks so much for letting me know and I’ll get that fixed now!
Carolyn Garcia
Hi Sam, Carolyn Garcia here, how are you? good I hope. I had to comment on these muffins. They are making my mouth water, they look so delicious I’m gonna try them soon as I get the time, you have an awesome website. I love almost everyone of your recipes, they all look so good, I’m a sweets person I love anything that is sweet, so it looks like I came to the right place. I have been following you for a long while now and you are awesome, keep up the good work and keep the recipes rolling, lol, God Bless and have a wonderful day, your friend Carolyn G.
Sam
Hi Carolyn! I am doing very well, thank you! I hope you love the muffins! I am so glad you enjoy the site. Your comment put a smile on my face. Thank you very much. ☺️
Nanyonjo Dorah
Thanks Sam for the pumpkin recipe. can I make a big cake out of this recipe or its only for muffins.
Sam
You’re very welcome! I’m honestly not sure how this would turn out as a cake. I do have this pumpkin cake recipe on my website if you want to try that one instead 🙂
Emily
I made these (Jumbo) last night: SO GOOD, SO MOIST. I did the usual 425F for 8 minutes then dropped it down to 375F for the remainder of the time until a toothpick came out clean (15ish minutes).
The only thing I I was thinking about playing around with was giving the muffin a little more of a “spiced” flavor by adding a little cloves, but that’s just me. Overall, fabulous recipe!
Sam
I’m so glad to hear it was such a hit!! Thanks for commenting, Emily! <3
Lori
These look amazing, and I can’t wait to try them! Thanks Sam!